To play the media you will need to either update your browser to a recent version or update your Flash plugin.

Review

From the first ten seconds of this album, you know exactly where jazz masochist John Zorn is heading with Weird Little Boy, one of his many noise projects with Mr. Bungle singer Mike Patton. A Phil Spector-style drum intro immediately leads into some hissing noise, with squeaks and pops provided by Zorn's saxophone. From this point on, nothing is sacred sonically. These are not songs so much as pieces of sound, and this is how the artist intended it to be. The music slides from casual guitar jamming (courtesy of Patton's partner in crime Trey Spruance) to ear-splitting noise to the sound of someone choking to cartoon sound effects in a matter of a minute. The album is more of an experience than anything, and this is driven home by the wonderful packaging (which includes a booklet filled with poetry, text, and art). This is not for fans of jazz, or fans of anything really. This is a brutal noise experience for listeners interested in how far sonic technology can really be stretched and twisted. It is also very captivating music, and given time it can really sustain interest. Just make sure to listen to it when you have time to digest the whole package.